Disclaimer: I do not own School of Rock.

Note: Next chapter. I know Vanessa's a bitch. But watch. She's not done yet...

Chapter Five

She would not stop him. She had seen him change, dramatically, she had seen everyone in her life change. Freddy used to be so friendly, so understanding, so had her father. She had depended on them both to help her through these tough times. Maybe she had depended on them too much. But was that even possible?

She grabbed an empty notepad, and a pencil. Her mum was out at the moment, but she could see the flashing button on the answering machine. She pressed down on the button, waiting for her mum's welcoming tone.

"Hello, we're not here at the moment, leave a message at the tone—" There was a long beep before the messages came on, "Hi sweetie, the food's in the fridge, I won't be home till quite late, love you!" Katie made a mental note to say thank you to her mother, for her kindness, for her constant love and attention.

Without quite expecting it, the second message came on, "Uh—Katie, I'm sorry about the other day—" She panicked and deleted the message, without a second thought. Then, setting down the pad and pen, she started rummaging around the kitchen and found the hidden vodka bottle her mum drank from when she was feeling down.

Right now, it was her that needed all the alcohol.

She locked the bathroom door, barring anyone from getting in. And she sat there and wrote.

Mrs. Brown unlocked the front door, smiling to herself. She had just come back from a great movie with Mrs. Jones. They haven't spoken in ages, and wanted to catch up with each other. As she put the groceries she picked up before coming home, she wondered where Katie was, there was usually some music coming from her room.

Knocking on her door, she called out, "Katie? Honey are you in there?" Hearing no answer, she barged in and saw no one. She must in the toilet, she thought, heading just there. Knocking harder on the door she called out again, "Katie? Are you alright in there?" She turned the knob, but found it locked. Banging her fists against the door she shouted, "Katie? Katie? Come out honey! Katie?" Her mum panicked and ran to her room, flipping through the rows of keys that opened the doors to the house. She shoved the key and twisted till she heard and click and swung open the door.

She cried as she held Katie's head in her arms. "Katie," she sobbed, and grasped the telephone against her ear. "Ambulance! Quick! Please come quick!"

She held three letters in her hand, as she watched her precious.

Mum

Freddy

Vanessa

Katie was still alive, but barely. She hung onto the life support, needing the oxygen after they pumped all the medication from her stomach. She tore open the letter:

Mum,

I know this is extremely selfish of me to do this to you. But I really can't take this anymore. I can't take going to school everyday, facing—nothing you should worry about now. I really love you mum, and I know this will be extremely hard for you. I love you.

Please deliver the other two letters.

Love,

Katie

Mrs. Brown's hands shook as she dialed Mrs. Jones' number. Her voice trembled as she delivered the news.

Freddy banged on his drums, inflicting his anger and frustrations on them. He had left a message on Katie's answering machine, apologizing. But he still didn't understand how she said he had changed. He was the same Freddy Jones, the drummer, the joker, though for a while he had no heart to kid around anymore. He loved Vanessa a lot. At least—he thought he did.

He snapped out when his mother's loud voice called from below.

He stomped downstairs, and seeing his mother's tear-stained face and grim face, his expression changed. "What's wrong?" he asked, "It's not dad is it?"

"No, no," his mother answered, "Nothing like that."

"Then," he mumbled, "What's the matter."

"Katie," she choked out, "This is very hard for me dear." Freddy started to panic, what had happened to Katie? He knew deep down inside that his mother treated Katie like her own. But he never got why she would. "She's dead—"

Freddy was taken aback and couldn't answer for a good five minutes, trying to take it all in.

"And," his mother continued, "There's something Katie left for you, a—a letter I think. You better go the hospital to see her," his mother's voice changed to an angry tone, "If I find out you are the cause for her death—I don't know what I'll do—"

Freddy already knew from the guilt he felt, he had something to do to trigger this response of hers. His mouth was closed shut, remembering what he had said to her yesterday, his voice, his words ringing in his own ear.

"You're nothing but a—a freak!"

Vanessa. She was also the cause. But he passed the thought away. Vanessa was so small, so vulnerable, she couldn't have done anything like that. But—she was now: dead. He looked at his hands warily. They were shaking. He was shaking. He dashed to the hospital, running through the raging wind, and the pitter-patter of the rain. His heart was heavy, carrying a heavy burden. He murdered his best friend.

He hadn't spoken to her in over the year he knew Vanessa. Every time she approached him to talk, he had always been too busy with Vanessa, or Vanessa would shoo her away. He had dismissed it at the time, thinking that she would have some other person to confide in. But she had none. Summer had gone. Zack had gone. The only ones that were left in the band that were actually still going to the same school were them. Katie and Freddy, the best of friends. Before Vanessa. She had been always laughing, always smiling without a doubt. But then, you saw it less and less, till her face became an empty face of blank emotions. You never knew what she was feeling. It was if the spark of her life had gone out. But that was after he met Vanessa.

Vanessa. Vanessa. Vanessa.

Maybe it was her. He was breathing harder, his lungs felt like they were about to explode, but he kept going, he nearly reached the hospital. Looking both ways, he ran across, not hearing the screeching of tires.

Inside the building he pushed the lift button frantically, while asking a nurse for a Miss Brown, Katie. The opening lift doors signaled for him to get on. He paced around the lift, twisting his hands around and fidgeting. He raced past the many people in the hallway, searching for the right room, bashing into the nurses.

Twisting the doorknob, he arrived, breathing heavily and wet from the rain. Katie's mum swiveled around and softened at the sight of the boy. She reached inside her pocket and pulled out the crumpled letter, smoothing it down before giving it to him. He smiled at her gently, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and just looked at Katie. She was lying there, her face white, her eyes closed. She looked so: vulnerable.

He turned his face towards Mrs. Brown, and politely he whispered, "Mrs. Brown, can I—have a moment with Katie please?" She nodded her head, and left quietly.

Freddy scooted his chair closer to Katie. "Katie—" he said slowly, her name rolling off his tongue, "I think—I think—I think—I'm so sorry." He let his head fall down on her blanket, "Please forgive me," he mumbled into the blanket, his silent tears soaked into the sheet, "I'm sorry." He lifted up his head and kissed her forehead, down to her nose, down to her lips. He could feel heat radiating from her, warmth seemed to be returning to her. His lips were still attached to hers.

"No one said it would be this hard, Katie," he murmured to her, "I thought I loved Vanessa, but do I really? Or was I denying my feelings for you? I don't know—" He clutched his head for support, "I need you Katie. You only. But—but I'm so confused. What do I do?"

A knock on the door sounded and a weak smiling Mrs. Brown came in clutching two cups of hot chocolate. He declined the offer, thanking her before he left.

Down by the pavement, he thought of Katie, and had to bring a small smile to his face. He certainly thought he had loved Vanessa. But he now knew well, it had always been Katie. Opening the letter he read it twice.

Freddy,

By the time to read this letter, I'm probably going to be dead. I poured my soul out. My troubles, the one that you insisted to know. I told you. I can still remember your face, those harsh words that wounded me. I'm sure you'd suit Vanessa well.

I want to forgive you Freddy, I really want to.

But I gave you several chances.

I loved you.

I was stupid enough to believe this fairytale would end happily, with the witch demised and me, the unhappy princess, saved by my prince charming.

I thought, I believed I loved you,

Katie

He saw the black car across the road, remembering the screeching tires. Looking closer he saw a revolver emerge from the rolling window.

He dodged the shots fired at him, but he was not fast enough for the speeding car headed his way.